Mary Jean Paup

Mary Jean passed away on December 31, 2023 from complications resulting from Alzheimer’s Disease. Mary Jean was humble, kind, adventurous, patient, and courageous. She lived by the modicum: “never say anything bad about anyone.” Mary Jean valiantly lived life and always had a laugh or a smile for us, despite the challenges and ravages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Mary Jean was the best mother to us daughters.

She is survived by three daughters, Barbara (John) Soriano of Marysville, Jennifer Paup of Lynnwood, and Elizabeth (Christopher) of Port Angeles. Also, she is survived by her sister Helen Tallerico of Sacramento, as well as three grandchildren: Dustin (Melissa) Soriano of Colorado Springs, Karina of Seattle, and Lauren of Forks. In addition, eight nieces and nephews survive Mary Jean. She was predeceased by her husband Martin Paup, her brother Charles Iske, and her sister Margaret Iske.

Mary Jean grew up in rural Nebraska, during the Great Depression, and worked on her family’s small farm until graduating from North Bend High School in 1949. Eldest of four children, Mary Jean handled many farm chores as a young girl. After graduating at age 17, she moved to Omaha to work at Union Pacific Railroad and enjoyed her freedom and modern city living.

In 1953, she discovered the travel “bug” while using her discounted rail tickets from her employer, “UP.” Mary Jean promptly fell in love with Mt. Rainier, Lake Washington, and the saltwater in Washington State. She decided to quit her job in Omaha when they would not honor her request for a job transfer to Seattle! Mary Jean lost no time and found another job at The Boeing Company, Renton, where she later met our dad, Martin Paup.

Mary Jean’s early years as a single woman in Seattle were a wonderful time in her life: filled with laughter, plenty of friends, snow skiing, water skiing, and boat rides at her rental home near Leschi on Lake Washington.

Back when Mary Jean was raising us kids, she found great joy in getting out of the house and exploring nature outside the city. Beginning in the 1970’s, hiking became a lifelong favorite passion of hers. Mary Jean was a proud member of “The Happy Hikers,” as well as the Mountaineers.

In addition to her love of hiking and nature, Mary Jean was a “birder” and remained an avid traveler through her 70’s. She was able to travel to her final seventh continent, Antarctica, in 2010. Mary Jean taught us kids by example and we grew to love travel and nature by watching her follow her passion. “Don’t wait to travel until you can afford it. Travel when you are healthy!”

Mary Jean was married for 56 years, living in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood, the Greenlake neighborhood, and finally, several decades at their beloved condo near Pike Place Market in Seattle. After Martin’s passing in 2015, she moved to Port Angeles to be closer to her daughter Liz.

Thank you to staff at Good Shepherd’s Haven and to all the nurses at Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County. In addition, we would like to thank Dr. Lubinski, Mary Jean’s caring physician. All these people made her life better despite her suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease over the past ten years.

Funeral arrangements for Mary Jean Paup, will be handled by Butterworth Funeral Home, Seattle. Interment will be at Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Per her request, memorial donations may be made in her memory to YWCA Housing Program of Seattle or to the Seattle Noel House Program.